Plantation life; Virginia -- Social life and customs
Returned to his own home, and relating the incidents of his trip, Mr.
R. mentioned this, when one of his nephews laughed and said: "Well,
Uncle R., we Virginia people are so easily imposed upon! You don't
think that man will ever return your money _do_ you?"
"My dear," replied his Uncle, looking at him reproachfully and sinking
his voice, "I was fully repaid by the change which came over the man's
countenance."
It is due to the Georgian to add that on reaching home, he returned the
money with a letter of thanks.
* * * * *
In sight of the hospitable home of Mr. R. was another equally
attractive owned by his brother-in-law, Mr. B. These had the same
name--Greenfield--the property having descended to two sisters,
the wives of these gentlemen. They might have been called twin
establishments, as one was almost a fac simile of the other. At both
was found the same hospitality; the same polished floors; the same
style of loaf-bread and velvet rolls. The only difference between the
two being that Mr. B. kept his doors locked at night; observed more
system, and kept his buggies and carriages in better repair.
These gentlemen were also perfectly congenial. Both had graduated
in law; read the same books; were members of the same church; knew
the same people; liked and disliked the same people; held the same
political opinions; enjoyed the same old Scotch songs; repeated the
same old English poetry; smoked the same kind of tobacco, in the same
kind of pipes; abhorred alike intoxicating drinks, and deplored the
increase of bar-rooms and drunkenness in our land.
For forty years they passed together a part of every day or evening,
smoking and talking over the same events and people. It was a picture
to see them at night over a blazing wood fire, their faces bright with
good nature; and a treat to hear all their reminiscences of people
and events long passed. With what circumstantiality could they recall
old law cases; describe old duels, old political animosities and
excitements! What merry laughs they sometimes had!
Everything on one of these plantations seemed to belong equally to the
other. If the ice gave out at one place, the servants went to the other
for it as a "matter of course;" or if the buggies or carriages were out
of order at Mr. R.'s--which was often the case--the driver would go
over for Mr. B.'s without even mentioning the circumstance, and so with
everything. The families lived thus harmoniously with never the least
interruption for forty years.
Now and then the old gentlemen enjoyed a practical joke on each other,
and on one occasion Mr R. succeeded so effectually in quizzing Mr B.
that whenever he thought of it afterwards he fell into a dangerous fit
of laughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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